Doctors yesterday joined nurses in taking industrial action at the Gżira Health Centre, obeying directives issued by their own union telling them not to operate clinics that required a nurse when none was present.

The directive by the Medical Association of Malta followed that issued to nurses in Gżira, who only attended to emergency cases in reaction to the transfer of nurses without replacement.

The directive to nurses was given on Sunday by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, which complained that the transfer affected the overall service being given and was also having an effect on the nurses who were having to go from one health centre to another to beef up the staff complement.

The MUMN also instructed all nurses working in all health centres to ignore any order to go to work in a different one.

Contacted yesterday, MUMN president Paul Pace said the directives had been “100 per cent successful”.

Nurses cancelled all appointments at all clinics, including the diabetic and wound clinics, as well as bloodletting appointments, since the minimum staff complement of five nurses had not been reached.

Karl Causon, MAM’s health centre representative, said the directive to doctors was not issued in sympathy with nurses but because certain clinics, such as the diabetes clinic, could not possibly function without the presence of a nurse.

Mr Pace complained that the nursing shortage was not being properly addressed.

“The situation at the Gżira centre will worsen next week because there is one nurse who is heavily pregnant and about to go out on maternity leave and another one who reaches retirement age.

“What will happen next week? Only God knows,” he said.

He added that the directives issued to nurses on Sunday would remain in force until the situation is addressed.

Meanwhile, despite being promised replies to a request for comment sent to the Health Ministry on Sunday, they had not arrived by last night.